Hollywould Fix

A few days passed and neither Pete nor Ryan was speaking to me. It would have been lonely if I didn't have so much work to catch up on and Alex would come by on my lunch break.

Tomorrow Mama Wentz would be leaving to go back to Chicago, so that night the whole clan was getting together for a goodbye dinner.

"How do I look," Alex asked. He was wearing a black suit with a sky blue tie and black and white checked vans.

"Very handsome," I replied tightening his tie. It highlighted how bright his own baby blues were. "How about me?"

I was wearing a fushia satin sheath dress that I'd borrowed from the closet at work and black stilletos. "You look amazing. But you always do," he added.

"Aww thank you baby," I gushed giving him a peck on the lips. "We better get going."

We went outside where Pete, Ashlee, and Mom were already waiting in the car.

"Oh you look beautiful honey," Mom said as I slid in next to her. I gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks Mom you too." It was true she looked pretty in a floaty purple top that went well with her toffee-colored skin tone and black slacks. She had even put on heels for the occasion.

"Alex, I wasn't aware you were coming tonight," Pete said coldly glaring at Alex through the rearview mirror.

"Why wouldn't he Peter, he used to come out with us all the time before?"

"Yes well that was then and this is now. He might be able to just waltz back into your life but he can't do that with all of us."

"Peter Wentz I will not be late to a dinner in my own honor. Now, leave that poor boy alone and drive," Mom commanded.

We both shut up but that didn't stop us from glaring at each other through the mirror. We arrived at a quaint little restaurant a far cry from the places our crew usually went. This restaurant was small and homey with not even a hint of papparazzi or glamorous hollywood types.

"What is this place," I asked.

"I found it online. Mom, I know how much you love soul food," he smiled sheepishly.

"Oh honey that was sweet of you. It almost makes up for your bad behaviour since I've been here," she smiled back devilishly.

Pete pouted as we walked into the restaurant where everyone was already waiting. The restaurant had pushed several tables together in the middle of the floor to accomodate us all. I smiled. No matter where we went or how "normal" my friends tried to be they just couldn't help but cause a scene. We settled in and the cacophonous conversations began. Angel wanted to know what Alex had been up to. Joe and Patrick were talking music as usual.

I didn't join in instead I just sat back and watched contently. Alex put his arm around me getting my attention. He smiled at me. I could tell that even though he'd never admit it. He missed this. He'd missed them, the people he'd said were "my" friends and not his. But that wasn't true, he was back in the thick of things and he loved it. His sharp blue eyes searched my green ones before leaning in to kiss me softly. We pulled apart and I couldn't help but smile as I savored the kiss. That is until my attention was drawn across the table to Pete and Ashlee who were kissing just as we had been a moment before. They separated slowly and even though I wanted to I couldn't look away. I took a deep breath to quell the surge of emotion I felt watching them. Pete smiled at Ashlee and then turned back to face me, our eyes locked and I could see the same emotion I felt echoed in his eyes. I couldn't move and it almost felt like I couldn't breathe as I fought back tears.

Suddenly, Pete slammed his fist on the table before pushing his chair away from the table and storming outside. Everyone watched in shock and silence since they obviously had no idea what was going on.

Ashlee started to get up to go after him.

"Wait," Mom instructed, "...uh...you're pregnant. You should rest. Let Reina go after him."

"You're pregnant," Alex exclaimed, "Since when?!"

I looked at Mama Wentz questioningly but she nodded reassuringly. I went outside and found Pete leaning against the side of the building scowling and kicking the concrete with his Converses.

"You shouldn't have come out here. They'll suspect something."

"You're mom took care of that for us."

"Did you have to kiss him in front of me," he asked angrily.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking, we were just sort of...caught in the moment."

"Yeah well so were we," he spat.

"Do you love her?" I don't know why I asked. I wasn't sure I really wanted to know the answer. Pete and I had never said the "L" word to each other when we were together and I didn't really mind that we hadn't, it was too soon and we had concentrated on just being together. But the thought that he might be in love with someone else stabbed like a knife to the chest. "I mean she is carrying your baby you probably should be in love with her," I thought out loud.

"Do you love him," he countered.

"Yes," I said indignantly but when I saw the hurt in his eyse I knew I'd spoken too soon. "I don't know," I admitted quietly.

"DAMN IT!"

I jumped. "Peter keep your voice down people might hear you," I hissed.

"Why did this have to happen? I didn't plan on Ashlee getting pregnant. I didn't plan on it but I could have dealt with it. I could have been happy." He was rambling and not too quietly. I looked around nervously to make sure that no one was around and suddenly Pete's lips were on mine. He kissed me with an urgency and a passion that he never had before and it felt like fire. Finally, he pulled away and left me panting for air my lips still searing with pleasure. "But I didn't plan on you," he continued more calmly, "I didn't plan on this and I don't know what to do about it. I'm about to be a father, Reina and I can't even enjoy it! Honestly, right now I wish I'd never met you."

His words stung and not in the same way as his kiss. Even though it was painful, I knew it was true and as he went back inside leaving me alone I couldn't help but wish I had never won that contest, never come out to LA and met all of these wonderful people. Because if I had never met Pete Wentz I would never have experienced the pain that I felt right then.